Part 27 (1/2)

”Doctor, will you forgive all the past?”

And Dr. Van Anden answered: ”Oh, my brother in Christ!”

As for Ester, she prayed, in her clothes-press, thankfully for Dr.

Dougla.s.s, more hopefully for Sadie, and knew not that a corner of the poor little letter which had slipped from Julia's hand and floated down the stream one summer morning, thereby causing her such a miserable, _miserable_ day, was lying at that moment in Dr. Dougla.s.s'

note-book, counted as the most precious of all his precious bits of paper. Verily ”His ways are not as our ways.”

CHAPTER XXV.

SADIE SURROUNDED.

”Oh,” said Sadie, with a merry toss of her brown curls, ”_don't_ waste any more precious breath over me, I beg. I'm an unfortunate case, not worth struggling for. Just let me have a few hours of peace once more.

If you'll promise not to say 'meeting' again to me, I'll promise not to laugh at you once after this long drawn-out spasm of goodness has quieted, and you have each descended to your usual level once more.”

”Sadie,” said Ester, in a low, shocked tone, ”_do_ you think we are all hypocrites, and mean not a bit of this?”

”By _no_ means, my dear sister of charity, at least not all of you.

I'm a firm believer in diseases of all sorts. This is one of the violent kind of highly contagious diseases; they must run their course, you know. I have not lived in the house with two learned physicians all this time without learning that fact, but I consider this very nearly at its height, and live in hourly expectation of the 'turn.' But, my dear, I don't think you need worry about me in the least. I don't believe I'm a fit subject for such trouble. You know I never took whooping-cough nor measles, though I have been exposed a great many times.”

To this Ester only replied by a low, tremulous, ”Don't, Sadie, please.”

Sadie turned a pair of mirthful eyes upon her for a moment, and noting with wonder the pale, anxious face and quivering lip of her sister, seemed suddenly sobered.

”Ester,” she said quietly, ”I don't think you are 'playing good;' I _don't_ positively. I believe you are thoroughly in earnest, but I think you have been through some very severe scenes of late, sickness and watching, and death, and your nerves are completely unstrung. I don't wonder at your state of feeling, but you will get over it in a little while, and be yourself again.”

”Oh,” said Ester, tremulously, ”I pray G.o.d I may _never_ be myself again; not the old self that you mean.”

”You will,” Sadie answered, with roguish positiveness. ”Things will go cross-wise, the fire won't burn, and the kettle won't boil, and the milk-pitcher will tip over, and all sorts of mischievous things will go on happening after a little bit, just as usual, and you will feel like having a general smash up of every thing in spite of all these meetings.”

Ester sighed heavily. The old difficulty again--things would not be undone. The weeds which she had been carelessly sowing during all these past years had taken deep root, and would not give place. After a moment's silence she spoke again.

”Sadie, answer me just one question. What do you think of Dr.

Dougla.s.s?”

Sadie's face darkened ominously. ”Never mind what I think of _him_,”

she answered in short, sharp tones, and abruptly left the room.

What she _did_ think of him was this: That he had become that which he had affected to consider the most despicable thing on earth--a hypocrite. Remember, she had no personal knowledge of the power of the Spirit of G.o.d over a human soul. She had no conception of how so mighty a change could be wrought in the s.p.a.ce of a few hours, so her only solution of the mystery was that to serve some end which he had in view Dr. Dougla.s.s had chosen to a.s.sume a new character.

Later, on that same day, Sadie encountered Dr. Dougla.s.s, rather, she went to the side piazza equipped for a walk, and he came eagerly from the west end to speak with her.

”Miss Sadie, I have been watching for you. I have a few words that are burning to be said.”

”Proceed,” said Sadie, standing with demurely folded hands, and a mock gravity in her roguish eyes.

”I want to do justice at this late day to Dr. Van Anden. I misjudged him, wronged him, perhaps prejudiced you against him. I want to undo my work.”